I Love Looney
by Merle's Sugartits
Summary: Sequel to 'Savior' and 'Down the Rabbit Hole'. Please read 'Savior' first. It's not necessary to read 'Down the Rabbit Hole,' but if you do/have, thank you. Takes place six months after 'Savior' ended. Lucy's coming home from the mental hospital and everything goes to hell. Will she be able to survive without breaking again, or will she lose everything.
1. Unaired Pilot

**Klreyes91: Thank you! I hope it lives up to your expectations.**

**ShutxThexFrontxDoor: Also, something I didn't think about before, the Woody Harrelson references that were throughout ****'****Savior' (Natural Born Killers and stuff) I'm sorry I made you so sad. Maybe this chapter will make up for it.**

_Author's Note: I just want to take a moment really quickly to thank everyone that has read Savior and Down the Rabbit Hole. It really means a lot to me. You guys are wonderful, and I hope you enjoy this just as much as the other two._

Merle stood at the front desk signing the release forms. Lucy stood next to him in ill-fitting jeans and an oversized sweatshirt. Her head was tilted down, and she was staring at the floor, her hair falling around her shoulders in waves. It was a little shorter than it had been when Merle last seen her, and it was brushed. It had been cut, some of the knots had been so bad they had to be cut out, and now her hair was layered.

Merle shifted her bag on his shoulder. There wasn't much in it; her hairbrush, toothbrush, and a few other personal effects. He reached out and touched her forearm, "You ready to go home, sugarplum?"

The corner of her lip twitched upwards into a half smile. They walked outside to the truck, and he opened the door for her.. She got inside and he handed her the bag before shutting her door and walking around to the other side.

Before he started the truck, he leaned over and opened the glove box. He pulled out her favorite feathers; two peacock feathers tied together by a thin strip of leather and attached to a bobby pin. He slid it into her hair, right above her ear. "You don't look right without 'em," he told her when she looked at him.

She looked down at the feathers and barely touched them with her fingertips. He closed the glove box and started the engine. The drive from Atlanta was a long one. Lucy was quiet as they listened to the radio. It had been six months since Lucy had last seen him, since she attacked him. Something about that incident, though, seemed to help her though. She 'woke up' from her fantasy world and started getting better. Then a month ago, Merle got a phone call that she was ready for outpatient care. They started drawing up the paperwork for her release.

Merle frequently glanced at her as he drove. Her head was tilted to the side as she stared out the window. Her lips moved silently, muttering words he couldn't hear. "Lucy…" he said her name cautiously, "Whatcha doin' sugarplum?"

She looked at him, "Singing."

He smiled and placed his hand over hers. She looked down at them, two hands, not one.

When they got home, Daryl was there waiting for them. As soon as Lucy stepped out of the truck, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. He hugged her tightly against him, "I missed you."

Her arms slipped around him and she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. He smelled just like she remembered, sweat and woods. "I missed you too," she lied. She had spent months imagining he was right beside her, but she couldn't say that.

Daryl pulled out of the embrace. He put his hands on her shoulders and smiled before glancing at Merle who was frowning. He took her bag from her and headed inside.

Merle walked upstairs with Lucy. He had taken her bag from Daryl downstairs and now he dropped it onto the bedroom floor. Lucy sat down on the bed and sighed heavily, looking around the room. Merle walked over to her and took her hands in his. She looked up at him, "This is real?"

Merle nodded. "You hungry, sugarplum? We'll go out tonight."

A small smile touched her lips and she nodded. Looking down at her clothes, she frowned, "Let me change first."

Merle watched her kick off the white slip-on shoes before she pulled off her clothes. Her legs, stomach, and arms were covered in faded scars. He stepped over to her and ran his hands down her arms, causing her to shiver slightly. He touched her hips, his thumbs brushed her skin, "What happened?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"The Gove-uh…I did it. He took her hands again, looking at her arms. She tilted her head down, frowning at her scars as tears filled her eyes. She shook her head, "I wasn't…I didn't…" Lucy went into hysterics as she tried to explain how her own imagination had tortured her. How she had scratched, bit, and cut herself with whatever sharp object she could get her hands on. The whole time believing it was something entirely different.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. Merle stroked her hair, "Shh, it's okay Cher—Lucy." It would be hard getting used to calling her by her real name rather than her stage name. "I know you thought it was real. Do you want to tell me—"

"No," she pulled away from him. "I want to forget." Lucy looked up at him and gripped his arms tightly, "This is real."

"Yes, Lucy, this is real." He smiled and she returned it with a weak one of her own. "C'mon, get dressed so we can go eat."

Merle watched her open her drawers, rummaging through clothes she hadn't worn in a year and a half. She picked out a pair of jeans and a floral blouse. She pulled a long sweater on over it and zipped up her boots.

Lucy, Merle, and Daryl went to the diner she had worked at years before; before she had met Merle her first night at Bare Assets. The second she stepped through the door, she was wrapped in a bear hug. She tensed at first, but smiled and relaxed at the scent of the familiar perfume. "Lucy, I'm so glad you're home," Chanel told her.

Lucy smiled, wrapping her arms around her best friend, "I missed you."

"I missed you too. We all did." Chanel pulled away and Lucy turned, seeing Marissa standing there waiting for her hug. Lucy wrapped her arms tightly around the brunette, happy to see the girl alive.

Lucy turned to Merle, "Did you plan this?"

He grinned before admitting, "It was Daryl's idea. He thought it would be good for you to see more familiar faces." She hugged Daryl and kissed his cheek, causing him to blush. She chuckled, a smile settling on her lips. Merle took her hand and led her to a booth.

As they all ate their dinner, Chanel told Lucy, "Whenever you're read – if you want to—there's always a vanity available for you."

"You still work there?"

Chanel nodded, "We both do." Marissa smiled and Lucy returned it.

In the weeks that followed, Lucy fell into a routine. She'd wake up next to Merle, and he'd squeeze her hand. He would tell her it was real, and she'd take her medicine. Then they would eat breakfast before he'd leave for work. While he was gone, Lucy would sit on the couch and watch TV. One night, while Lucy laid in bed beside Merle, staring up at the ceiling, she was thinking. Merle laid next to her, an arm around her and his eyes closed, but he hadn't fallen asleep yet. "Merle.?"

"Hmm…?"

"This is real."

"Yes, Lucy, I'm real, you're real, being here is real. You're better."

"But I don't feel like it. I still feel like what I imagined is what really happened."

"That's because all you have is the hallucinations. You don't have memories to replace them with, and that's okay."

She turned in his arms so that she was facing him. She stared at him until he opened his eyes, then she said, "You still want to be with me, even though I'm crazy?"

He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His hand rested on her cheek and he brushed his thumb across her skin. "You're not crazy, sugarplum. You're getting better."


	2. The Girls Want to Go to the Night Club

**ShutxThexFrontxDoor: Chanel's gonna be in it a lot more too! And they remind me of us too. For some reason, I now have the urge to play "Stripper Friends" by Tila Tequila. Hmm…how'd that happen? Ha-ha. **

When morning came, Merle was woken up by Daryl, who was being extra careful to not wake Lucy. "What do ya want?" Merle asked grumpily, frowning. He wasn't a morning person anyways, and being woken up against his will aggravated him even more.

"Keep yer voice down," Daryl told him, speaking quietly. "There's something on TV you need to see." He turned and left the room. Merle carefully crawled out of bed, not wanting to disturb Lucy. He quickly dressed and headed downstairs into the living room where Daryl was. The TV was on, a news broadcast playing. They were showing aerial footage of car wreckage and people running amok. Citizens chased other citizens, attacking them and biting them, tearing them apart. Merle's eyes widened as he watched the screen.

"This s the scene in cities all over the country," the reporter said as the footage changed to another similar scene. The anchor continued, giving instructions and providing viewers with information about safe zones.

"What are we gonna do?" Merle asked.

Daryl shrugged, "Honestly, I'm more concerned about how this is going to affect Lucy." He sighed, "You think maybe we should go to one of these safe zones?"

"No." The two men turned to the stairs where Lucy stood, halfway down them. She was gripping the handrail so tightly her knuckles were white. Her eyes were locked on the TV screen.

"What do ya mean 'no'?" Merle asked.

Her attention turned to him, her expression changing, fear taking over her features. "This is real."

"Yes, Lucy, it's real," he assured her. Merle took a few steps forward, reaching his hands out towards her. She walked the rest of the way down the stairs and took his hands. He pulled her to him. "Now what are you talking about?"

"We can't go to a safe zone. It'll be too dangerous. Everyone will be going there, and we don't know how many people are infected, or how this happened. It could be too easy to break through. Besides that, there will be road blocks and traffic jams, we'll be vulnerable." She shook her head, "We have to stay away from cities, get away from people."

"So what do you propose?" Daryl asked, humoring her.

"The cabin."

"What?" the brothers asked in unison.

"It's secluded and far away from 'safe zones'. If we stock up on supplies, then we'll be safe until this blows over."

Merle and Daryl looked at each other, they were reluctant to admit it, but she had a point. "Go upstairs and pack our clothes," Merle told her. "We'll pack everything else." She nodded and pulled away from him, starting up the stairs again. "Lucy?" She turned back to face him, "Don't forget your medicine."

She nodded and continued up the stairs.

Daryl and Merle walked into the kitchen to start bagging up their food. "So we're going to go along with her plan?" Daryl asked.

"You got a better one?"

Daryl shook his head.

As they loaded their things into the back of Daryl's truck, Lucy walked out of the house, headed to the shed. "Whatcha doin' sugarplum?" Merle asked, watching her.

She didn't say anything. A few moments later she exited the small building with a chainsaw in one hand and various other items tucked under her other arm. The phone inside started ringing, "I got it," Daryl said, heading inside, leaving Merle to deal with Lucy alone.

As she put the things in the back of the truck, he asked again, "What're ya doin'?"

"We have to be able to protect ourselves. Guns are loud, and will attract more." She paused and looked at what she had put in the truck bed. "Daryl should get his crossbow."

"Lucy, are you okay?" Merle was surprised by how calm she was being. He was certain she'd have a breakdown and relapse.

She looked up at him and nodded. The corners of her mouth twitched upwards and she repeated her mantra.

He nodded, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her to him. Lucy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He smelled a lot like Daryl, with a few subtle differences Lucy had noticed after six years.

Daryl walked back outside with the rest of their things.

"Who was on the phone?" Merle asked.

"Chanel. She and Marissa are going to meet us at the cabin."

Merle nodded, "Go get your crossbow and we can head out."

Daryl nodded too and went back in to retrieve his weapon of choice and the bolts that went along with it. Merle opened the truck door and Lucy climbed in, Merle right behind her.

Halfway to the cabin, they had to stop for gas. "Ya think any where's even open?" Merle asked.

"Don't matter," Daryl shrugged, "We need it one way or another."

They pulled up to one of the pumps and climbed out, looking at the mostly abandoned parking lot. There was one car parked at the side of the building. An 'open' sign hung in the window. Merle started pumping gas, and Daryl and Lucy walked inside. The place was deserted. "Hello?" Daryl called out.

"Shut up!" Lucy hissed at him, her voice low. "If there are any walkers in here, they'll hear you."

Daryl sighed, and arching an eyebrow, he asked, "Walkers?"

She frowned and shrugged, "It's what we—I called them…in my head."

He gave her a sympathetic smile and put his hand on her shoulder. They walked through the empty store and Daryl pushed open the door to the store room. One of the racks was knocked over and there were bloodstained boxes crushed and scattered across the floor. A dead body laid among them.

"Maybe we should get outta here?"

Lucy nodded and they quickly walked outside. "Merle!" Lucy screamed, her eyes widening. Merle was fighting off a walker that gnashed his teeth, trying to get a bite of his flesh. Merle front kicked it, knocking it to the ground. He reached into the truck bed, grabbing the first thing his hand touched. He stabbed the walker through the chest with a crowbar. The walker got back up and kept coming though.

"Goddamn," Merle muttered.

"The head!" Lucy shouted. Merle yanked the crowbar free and stabbed it again, ramming the metal through its skull. It fell down, dead for good. Merle put his foot on the former gas station employee and pulled the crowbar free again. He dropped it in the back of the truck. Lucy ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck. He staggered and fell against the side of the truck, his arms circling around her waist. He stared down at the corpse.

"Are you bit?" Lucy finally asked, pulling away from him some.

"What?" he was thrown off for a moment by her question. "No, I'm fine." He looked at her; she was looking down at the corpse. He cupped her face in his hands, turning her away from the sight. There was fear in her eyes, "Are you okay?"

"I was just scared." He gave her a quick kiss. Daryl shifted uncomfortably, watching his brother and Lucy. They both looked down at the corpse again, "This is real," she whispered, clinging to Merle.

He nodded.

Daryl looked down the road to where they could hear the sound of an approaching vehicle. Merle and Lucy both turned too, following Daryl's gaze. The white van pulled into the parking lot and the door opened. "Glenn!" Lucy shouted; her expression lighting up as the man stepped out of the driver's side.

He smiled, "Hey, Looney, never thought I'd see you again."

She chuckled and Merle glared at him. "Are any of the others with you?" she asked.

"Some," he nodded, "Rick, Carol, Beth, Maggie, and Michonne."

"Where y'all headed?"

He shrugged, "As far from Atlanta as we can get. It's a madhouse there."

Lucy smiled again, a soft chuckle escaping her. "We're headed to a cabin, it's pretty secluded."

"With Chanel and Marissa there, we're not gonna have a lot of room," Merle said, knowing where her thoughts were going.

"We can't not help 'em," Daryl said, his voice low.

Merle turned to face his brother, "Do you think being around a group of crazies is going to be good for her?"

"Do you think this," Daryl gestured vaguely, referring to the epidemic, "is good for her?"

"I'm schizophrenic, not deaf," Lucy said while Glenn shifted nervously from foot to foot.

Merle sighed, shaking his head as he climbed back into the truck. He was agitated.

"They're not violent crazy," Lucy said softly.

Daryl ran his hand over his face, "Y'all can just follow us."

Glenn nodded, a small smile spreading across his lips, "We need to get gas first."

"We'll wait."

"Thanks," Glenn told him. "I'm Glenn…Glenn Rhee."

"Daryl Dixon," he nodded back to the truck, "That's my brother, Merle."

Glenn nodded, "I met him once."

The corner of Daryl's mouth curled up, "You'll have to ignore him a lot."


	3. Be a Pal

**ShutxThexFrontxDoor: I always look forward to your reviews! I count the minutes after updating until I see you've reviewed it. I was worried that having them repeat that would annoy people, but I feel like it's detrimental to Lucy's sanity without it. Ask and you'll receive angelface, I already have a little something planned.**

When they all pulled up to the cabin, Chanel and Marissa had already arrived. They ran out of the house and pulled Lucy into a hug the second she stepped out of the truck. "Are you okay?" Marissa asked.

Lucy nodded, "I'm fine, I'll be alright."

Chanel looked to Merle for confirmation. He nodded. Glenn pulled to a stop seconds behind them, and everyone filed out of the van. Lucy made the introductions, and everyone started unpacking.

Lucy stood in the bedroom refolding hers and Merle's clothes and putting them in the dresser. Merle walked in and sat down on the bed, watching her. She glanced at him over her shoulder. "You okay, Lucy?"

She nodded.

"You've been really calm about all this."

"Would you rather I break down and go crazy again?"

He shook his head, "I just mean that…" he sighed, trying to figure out how to tell her what he thought without upsetting her. "I thought you'd be in denial about it…or somethin'…"

She closed the drawer and walked over to him. She took his hands in hers, squeezing them tightly. He squeezed back. Lucy looked from one hand to the other, "You have two hands," she said it more to herself than to him, her voice low. "You weren't in Atlanta; Rick didn't handcuff you on a roof. You've never been in Woodbury, and we didn't live in a prison. There was never a war." She tilted her head back up, meeting his gaze. She squeezed his hands again and he squeezed back, "This is real."

He nodded, "This is real, Lucy." He pulled her close and she sat on his lap, straddling him. She let go of his hands and he wrapped his arms around her, his hands resting on her back. She trembled in his arms; it had been so long since they were close like this. Lucy put her hands on Merle's shoulders and kissed him. He ran his hands up her back and tangled his fingers in her hair.

"I need this," she told him, trailing her fingers over the muscles in his arms, tracing them. "I need to feel."

He stood, lifting her up with him; he turned and dropped her back down on the bed. He pulled his shirt off while she undone his pants, pushing them off his hips. She pulled her shirt off and he kissed her again, she wrapped her arms around him as he trailed kisses along her jaw and down her neck. He kissed each scar she had made on her body and his fingers gently brushed over the faint lines. He undone her pants and pulled them off of her before going back to kissing her stomach, one hand on her hip and the other trailing along the outside of her thigh. "Merle…" she breathed his name, her voice barely audible.

"It's real, sugarplum," he whispered against her skin. She clutched his arms and closed her eyes, a soft whimper coming out of her when he slid two fingers into her. His mouth closed over her breast, teeth and tongue working her nipple. His fingers moved, drawing more soft moans out of her. When he stopped she opened her eyes again, looking up at him. He smiled and she returned the smile, repositioning himself over her. She gasped when he entered her, it had been more than a year and she waited as she got used to feeling him inside her again before he started thrusting, softly at first. She dug her nails into his back, and he picked up the pace, his thrusts coming faster and harder. She wrapped her legs around him, her hips coming up off the bed to meet each of his thrusts and she bit down on his shoulder, causing him to groan. His lips found hers again and he kissed her roughly, her nails scraped down his back again and he felt her muscles tightening around him as she found her release, moaning against his mouth. As she rode out her orgasm he found his too and he held her against him.

Lucy unwrapped her legs from Merle's waist and he laid down next to her, "I didn't think you liked it like that."

She pinched her lips together, looking away from him, "It helps me feel."

He arched an eyebrow, a crooked grin spreading across his lips. He reached over and tucked a strand of blue-black hair behind her ear. She tucked her arm under her head, and he covered her with the blanket. Lucy pulled it up to her chin. They laid there staring at each other in silence for a while before she asked, "You still find me attractive, even though I'm covered in scars?"

"Of course," he told her, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her against him. "I don't care about your scars, Lucy. It doesn't make you any less beautiful, it doesn't change anything."

* * *

Daryl stood on the porch outside, Lucy, Chanel, and Marissa were cooking dinner and Merle was taking a nap. Carol, Beth, and Maggie were by the lake; Glenn, Rick, and Michonne were in the living room watching the news broadcast; it was the same one from the morning. Daryl turned when he heard the door open. Michonne walked outside and stood next to him, "What are they doing?" he asked her, nodding to the girls by the lake.

"Yoga; it's supposed to help with the depression."

"So why don't you do it?"

"I'm not depressed."

"Then what's wrong with you?"

She arched an eyebrow, meeting his gaze with pursed lips before saying, "I talk to my dead boyfriend."

"Did you kill him?" He pinched his lips together, the look on her face making him regret asking. "Sorry," he shook his head, "not my business."

She gave him a small smile, "I didn't. My husband did."

Daryl's lips parted and his mouth formed a silent 'o'. He hadn't been expecting that answer. She smiled wide and gave a small chuckle.

The door opened and Chanel stuck her head out, "Dinner's ready."

"I'll let them know," Michonne said, stepping down off the porch and heading towards Maggie, Beth, and Carol.

Daryl walked inside with Chanel. She stopped him, and in a low voice, said, "I'm worried about Lucy."

He turned to face her, "What do you mean? I think she's handling this fine."

Chanel shrugged, "I don't know. She just seems…off."

Daryl frowned, "She wasn't cured when she came home, but she's gettin' there. She's gonna be okay." He turned away, heading for the kitchen.

Chanel sighed and ran her hand through her hair, "I hope so," she muttered to herself.


	4. The Quiz Show

**Klreyes91: Thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying it.**

**ShutxThexFrontxDoor: Aw, I'm so sorry you've had a bad day. But I'm glad I could brighten it up some. And thank you! I'm really anxious about this chapter. I really hope you'll enjoy it.**

_Author's Note: I hadn't intended to type up another chapter today, but I'm really bored. I'm gonna end up catching up to myself (I'm writing it out in a notebook first.)_

After dinner, Merle, Daryl, Glenn, Rick, and Michonne sat in the living room. The TV was on; the news hadn't stopped broadcasting yet. They continued showing footage from throughout the day and announced the CDC had been quarantining sections of Atlanta, as well as in various other cities. That morning, all transportation in and out of the country had stopped out of fear of spreading the virus to other parts of the world. There was still no word on how it had started. People were advised to stay indoors and not to leave wherever they were. They were also warned to bar all windows and doors. "We will stay on air as long as possible," the anchor continued, "and we'll keep you updated and informed as the information comes in."

As Lucy and the others walked into the living room, Merle turned the TV off. She sat down in the over-stuffed arm chair with him. Merle groaned and shifted, adjusting himself more comfortably next to her. "How long do you think this is going to ask?" Marissa asked to no one in particular.

Daryl shrugged, "Could be weeks…months…hell, it could be tomorrow before it all blows over."

"Haven't you ever watched zombie movies before?" Michonne asked. "It never ends."

Lucy put her hand on Merle's knee, her grip tight. He covered her hand with his and squeezed it, her silent mantra.

"Things ended pretty quickly in 'Shaun of the Dead'," Glenn said. "'Fido' too, granted that scenario was a little different."

"Do deadites count as zombies?" Chanel asked, grinning, "Ash wiped all of them out; we just need to know what Bruce Campbell's up to."

Daryl smirked and shook his head, and Glenn chuckled.

"Doesn't matter," Merle told them, "Those are movies, this isn't."

There was a collective sigh as the lightened mood darkened again.

There was an uncomfortable silence as everyone tried to think of something non-depressing to talk about. Finally, Glenn spoke up, looking at Chanel and Marissa he asked, "So, you guys are strippers?"

Chanel laughed, "Marissa's just a bartender, and Lucy hasn't donned the name 'Cherokee Rose' in about a year and a half, so I'm not sure she counts anymore."

"Ya ever had a lap dance, China man?" Merle asked with a teasing grin on his face.

"I'm Korean," he said, looking at Merle before shaking his head, "and no, I haven't."

Chanel nudged Marissa and words were whispered. Marissa got up and walked over to the old record player, searching for something danceable. When she finally found one and put the needle down, Chanel stood and music filled the room. She walked towards Glenn with practiced ease and began the choreographed routine she'd done countless times. Despite the grin on his face, Glenn's cheeks turned bright red at the sounds of everyone clapping, laughing, and whistling.

As the song ended, Chanel noticed Daryl with his arms crossed over his chest, frowning, an eyebrow arched, "What's the matter, Daryl, ya aren't jealous, are ya? I'll give you one too, free of charge."

Daryl averted his eyes, staring at the floor he bit his lip as his cheeks turned just as red as Glenn's had been.

"Lighten up, little brother," Merle teased him, smiling, "Have some fun."

Lucy whispered to Merle, "I'm going to bed."

He nodded and she kissed his cheek. "I'll be there in just a minute," he told her, keeping his voice low.

She pushed herself out of the chair and walked to the bedroom.

Soon after, Merle got up to throw away his beer can. Daryl got up and followed him into the kitchen. "I was thinkin' earlier…" he started, leaning against the counter.

"Yeah?" Merle turned to face him, "About what?"

"Maybe we should set up a watch, I know we're secluded and everything, but just to be safe…"

"How're we gonna do that? Chanel and Marissa would be useless with a weapon, not that we really have any. And everyone else is crazy; you really wanna trust 'em with our safety?"

Daryl sighed, "Glenn's not really crazy, and Michonne seems lucid enough."

Merle rolled his eyes before arching his eyebrow, "And the others?"

Daryl shrugged, "I haven't really talked to any of 'em."

Merle sighed and shook his head slightly, "I doubt we have anything to worry about. If you wanna stand guard though, don't let me stop ya." Merle yawned, "I'm goin' to bed though."

Daryl grunted, "G'night."

"Night," Merle turned and walked to the bedroom. He shut and locked the door behind him. Lucy rolled over in bed to look at him. He smiled at her, "You ain't asleep yet?"

"I only just laid down," her voice was soft. She had changed into her pajamas and her hair had been braided back. The light had only been off for a minute or so before Merle walked in.

He kicked his shoes off and pulled his shirt over his head. He undone his pants, letting them fall to the floor as well, leaving him in just his boxers. Lucy watched him the whole time. He smiled, "See something you like, sugarplum?"

A grin spread across her face, "I might," she teased him. He walked over to the bed and she pulled the blanket back. He got in bed next to her and pulled her into his arms. She took a deep breath, "This is real."

"Yes, Lucy." He kissed her forehead and she closed her eyes, snuggling against him.

When morning came, Merle was the first to wake up. He got dressed and walked into the living room where Rick and Glenn were sleeping on the couch's pull out bed. Chanel and Marissa had the spare bedroom, and Daryl had given up his room to Maggie, Beth, Carol, and Michonne.

Merle walked outside onto the porch. Daryl was sitting against the wall, his eyes shut and crossbow in hand. Merle nudged him with his foot. Daryl startled awake and blinked a few times. Rubbing his eyes, he glared up at Merle, "What do you want?"

Merle grinned, "Any trouble last night, little brother?"

"Shut up!" Daryl got to his feet and Merle chuckled.

"I'll go wake Lucy up. You can sleep in our bed for a little while."

Daryl yawned sleepily, "Thanks." He had stayed awake most of the night. It had been about half an hour before sunrise when his eyes finally closed.

Merle walked back into his room and laid his hand on Lucy's shoulder, gently shaking her awake, "Rise and shine, sugarplum."

She rolled over and stared up at him, smiling sleepily. She sat up and rubbed her eyes while Merle shook her pills into the palm of his hand. He handed them to her and she swallowed them dry. They repeated her mantra and she quickly changed so Daryl could have the bed.


	5. The Gossip

**ShutxThexFrontxDoor: I'm worried you might love Lucy more than I do. I've put the poor girl through hell.**

Lucy walked into the kitchen to start making coffee. Merle sat down in the over-stuffed chair in the living room and turned the TV on. There was nothing but static. He flipped through a few more channels before turning it off. The news stations had quit broadcasting, and there was no way of telling how long ago it had happened. "Nothing, huh?" Glenn asked, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

Merle glanced at him before shaking his head.

"What do ya think happened?"

Merle shrugged, "Could be anything." Glenn chewed on his bottom lip for a moment before getting up and going to the bathroom.

Marissa and Chanel walked down the hall, talking, their voices low. "Good morning," Chanel said when she walked into the room. "Anything on the news?"

Merle shook his head, "Just static."

Marissa sighed, her shoulders slumping, "Where's Lucy?"

"Kitchen." The two girls left Merle alone with the still sleeping Rick. Merle frowned at him when he snored lightly. He pushed himself out of the chair and joined the three women in the kitchen. "What's for breakfast?"

"Eggs and sausage," Lucy told him, pouring him a cup of coffee. He thanked her for it when she handed it to him, and kissed her cheek. It wasn't long before everyone was up, with the exception of Daryl, and gathered around the table to eat.

A few days passed and there was still nothing on the TV or radio. Nobody said it, but they all thought it would never come to an end. They'd all just stay out there in the middle of nowhere waiting to die.

Night fell and Merle built a fire. Everyone sat around it, roasting marshmallows. Lucy sat between Merle's legs, leaning back against him, her head on his chest. "Do it for me," she said, handing him her stick with a marshmallow on the end of it.

"What can't you do it?"

"I always set them on fire. You get 'em all golden brown and perfect."

He chuckled and took the stick from her, holding it over the fire. When he pulled it away, he asked, "How's that?"

She smiled, "Perfect," and made a s'more out of it. She bit into it, still smiling. She reached up behind her, putting her hand on the side of his neck. She tilted her head up at him and he smiled down at her. Merle ran his finger across her bottom lip, wiping away a drop of melted chocolate and marshmallow. He ignored Daryl, Marissa, and Chanel watching them. Despite how long he and Lucy had been together, they had never seen him act that way with her. Daryl had rarely seen him be gentle with her. And Merle certainly wasn't one to show affection either.

But Merle didn't care anymore. He knew Lucy needed it. Every second he worried she'd snap and he'd lose her again, and that she wouldn't be fixable. He knew it was his fault she'd lost her mind in the first place. He had no control over Lucy losing her mother, but that combined with the drugs and then the loss of their baby had been enough to push her over the edge. Even though five years had passed between the two incidents, and despite how much he and Daryl had tried to help her, she had never been the same after Dharma died.

And even though for a year and a half he tried to convince himself it wasn't his fault she'd lost the baby, he knew it was. He was the reason for her drug problem, and it had only worsened the longer they were together. And it was his fault she had fallen down the stairs, even though he hadn't touched her. If he hadn't of abused her and treated her like he did, she never would've wanted to leave him. She never would have been afraid to tell him.

He sighed, lost in his thoughts. "You okay?" Lucy asked, looking back up at him.

"Yeah," he told her quietly, giving her a small smile of reassurance. "You want another one?"

She nodded and leaned over to get another marshmallow from the bag Carol was holding. She put it on the end of the stick Merle was holding it so he could toast it for her.

After a while, Lucy sat her marshmallow stick down and resettled herself against Merle. She yawned and closed her eyes. "You tired sugarplum?" She nodded slightly. "Why don't ya go get in bed then?"

"I'm comfortable," she groaned, not wanting to move.

He smiled and chuckled softly at her tone. Merle stroked her hair while she fell asleep against him. Eventually Merle scooped her up into his arms and awkwardly got to his feet. He said goodnight to everyone before carrying Lucy inside. He laid her down on the bed and pulled her shoes off of her. He stripped down and crawled into bed next to her. He pulled Lucy into his arms and she moaned softly in her sleep. Merle nestled his face in her hair and closed his eyes.

As he drifted into sleep, his mind wandered. He thought that if things never went back to normal, despite having the crazies there, it was nice. He and Lucy could have a new start, and he promised himself it wouldn't be like before.

A month passed, and nothing changed. Each morning and evening, someone would turn the TV on in hopes of finding a news broadcast, but there was never any luck. They all knew it was pointless, but nobody said anything, they wanted to hang onto some hope. Even though there hadn't been any incidents with walkers either, Daryl continued to insist that someone keep watch at night. Glenn, Michonne, and Rick all volunteered, but Merle wasn't comfortable letting any of them do it on their own; he or Daryl usually joined them.

One night, while Daryl was alone on guard duty, Merle joined him after Lucy had fallen asleep. "Can't sleep?" Daryl asked.

"Somethin' like that," Merle told him, sighing heavily.

"What's wrong?"

Merle leaned against the railing of the porch and looked up at the night sky, staring at the constellations. "Lucy's almost out of meds."

Daryl's jaw tensed, "What's that mean?"

Merle shrugged, "They're anti-psychotics. I'm pretty sure she needs 'em," he said sarcastically.

"So what're we gonna do?" Daryl thought for a moment. "I could ask Glenn if he managed to get any when they were escaping."

Merle nodded, "If he doesn't have any though, we'll have to go out and try to find some."

Daryl nodded. He was still tense; he didn't like the idea of Lucy running out of her medication.

The brothers stood alone in silence for a few minutes before Merle finally said, "You've been out here a while. Why don't you head in and get some sleep?"

Daryl nodded and handed over his crossbow. "Good night little brother."

Daryl smirked, "G'night Merle, don't let the walkers bite."

Merle smirked and chuckled softly as the door shut behind Daryl.


	6. Men are Messy

**ShutxThexFrontxDoor: Merle's just a big teddy bear, you find out once you break through his hard, angry, redneck shell.**

Morning came and everyone was waking up. When Merle walked into his room he found Lucy sitting up in the bed taking her pills. He walked over to her and took the bottle, "Yer gonna be out soon."

She nodded, "I know." Lucy looked up at him and bit her bottom lip.

He sighed, "Yer gonna be okay."

She nodded again, "This is real."

He nodded too, "It's real."

Lucy stood up and put her hands on his shoulders. He placed his hands on her waist as she stood on tip toe to kiss him. "Get some sleep," she whispered after she pulled away.

He nodded and started getting ready to crawl into bed.

While Merle was in the bedroom with Lucy, Daryl pulled Glenn aside to ask him about the drugs. "What do ya need?" Glenn asked as they stepped out onto the porch.

"Did you manage to grab any drugs when you were leaving Atlanta?"

"Lucy need 'em?"

Daryl nodded, "She's almost out."

Glenn sighed and shrugged, "I don't think I'll be any help. All I got are anti-depressants for the girls." He ran his hand through his thick, black hair.

"What about Rick? He ain't on anythin'?"

"He was, but I didn't know what, and I didn't have time to find out."

Daryl sighed and ran his hand down his face.

"What's she on?"

Daryl shook his head slightly, "Anti-psychotics. I don't know what the name."

After Merle woke up, Daryl told him he didn't have what they needed. Daryl started preparing to go to the closest town in hopes of finding a pharmacy with the drugs Lucy needed. "I'll go too," Merle said.

Daryl shook his head, "You should stay with her."

It was Merle's turn to shake his head now, "You don't need to go on your own. Someone needs to watch your back. We don't know what's out there. You don't know what you could be walking in to."

Daryl sighed, he hated to admit it, but Merle had a point, "Lucy needs you though. I'll take Glenn with me."

Merle pinched his lips together. That was all it took, mentioning Lucy. He nodded his head, sighing reluctantly, "Be careful, little brother." Daryl nodded before going to find Glenn.

* * *

Daryl pulled the truck to a stop in front of the pharmacy, and turned it off. "So, what are we looking for?" Glenn asked.

Daryl pulled the label out of his pocket and handed it to him. Merle had torn it off the bottle so they'd know just what to look for. Glenn read it and gave it back to Daryl, who stuffed it back into his pocket as he got out of the truck. He slipped the strap of his crossbow over his shoulder. Glenn got out too and Daryl nodded to the truck bed, "Take yer pick."

Glenn looked at the variety of options Lucy had put in the truck a month before. He picked up a machete and pulled the leather sleeve off. He looked it over before saying, "This'll do."

Daryl nodded and started into the small brick building, Glenn following close behind. When they had drove through the town, all they had found in the streets were abandoned cars and trash. A few dead bodies littered the ground here and there, but there was no one, living or dead, walking around. Daryl hoped they'd have the same luck inside.

* * *

Merle watched Lucy closely; she was sitting on the dock, her pants legs rolled up to her knees and her feet in the water. Her head was tilted down and her hair was braided back. She lifted her head up when she heard his footsteps on the wooden boards behind her, but she didn't turn around. "Whatcha doin' sugarplum?" he asked, sitting cross-legged beside her.

She shrugged, "Nothin'." She turned her head to look at him.

"Isn't that water cold?"

She shrugged again.

"Yer gonna catch a cold. Why don't ya come inside?"

She pulled her feet out of the water but didn't stand up. Instead, she hugged her knees to her chest.

"What're you thinkin' about?"

"Daryl and Glenn; I'm worried about them."

Merle put his arm around her shoulders, "They'll be fine. Daryl's got bigger balls then I give him credit for. He's brave and a tough son of a bitch. Nothing's gonna happen to him. He won't let anything happen to Glenn either."

She smiled and leaned her head against Merle's shoulder.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Merle said, "How 'bout we build a fire tonight? It's been a while since the last one."

Lucy smiled, "I'd like that."

He returned her smile, "I thought you would. Do we still have any marshmallows?"

"I think so."

Merle stood and reached down to take her hand. She placed hers in his and he pulled her to her feet. Lucy picked up her socks and shoes and they walked back in.

* * *

Daryl and Glenn walked cautiously through the pharmacy, their weapons held ready for an attack as they stepped quietly around turned over racks and scattered products. They made it to the pharmacist's counter and Daryl tried the door. It was locked, so Daryl climbed over the counter. Glenn followed quietly behind him.

Once behind the counter, the two men separated to search for the drugs Lucy needed. After a few minutes of searching through different medications, Glenn called out, "Found it." He kept his voice low; even though they were both sure they were alone in the store.

Daryl made his way over to Glenn, and they started filling their bag with the medication. As they made their way back over the counter, they heard the quiet creak of a door hinge. Daryl and Glenn glanced at each other, and Daryl gave a slight nod, silently telling Glenn to keep quiet. Glenn nodded back and they went in opposite directions, circling the store.

The walker stood by the storage room. It hadn't noticed either man yet, and Daryl took the opportunity to aim for its skull. He pulled the trigger on the crossbow and the walker went down. As Daryl retrieved his bolt, Glenn joined him and watched as Daryl wiped it clean with the rag he'd had in his back pocket.

As Daryl stuffed the rag back in his pocket, Glenn asked, "Should we check for more or get outta here?"

"Let's just go. No reason to die until after Lucy gets her meds."

Glenn nodded and they quickly hurried outside. Glenn put the machete back before climbing inside the truck. He and Daryl shut their doors simultaneously and Daryl started the engine.

* * *

Everyone sat around the fire Merle had built, roasting hot dogs as well as marshmallows. Lucy was curled up against Merle, a smile on her face while she stared up at the sky. The sun had just started setting minutes before.

They could hear the truck doors shut, and Maggie said, "They're back."

It wasn't long before Daryl and Glenn stepped through the back door and started making their way over to join them.

"You get 'em?" Merle asked.

Daryl nodded, "Got everything they had."

"And ya made it back without any problems," Merle smiled.

Daryl nodded as he sat down next to Chanel. She handed him a stick and the pack of hot dogs, before passing a stick over to Glenn as well.

Eventually Merle and Lucy went to bed, leaving everyone else outside. He watched her strip down to change into her pajamas. As she stepped out of her jeans, she noticed him watching her. She turned to face him slightly, "What?"

"I was just thinkin'," he said, walking towards her.

"About?"

He put his hands on her hips, pulling her the rest of the way to him, closing the distance between them. "I was wonderin' about what we might'a had." His calloused thumb brushed across her skin. "Whether it would'a been a boy or a girl. It'd probably be a year old, what…next month?"

"Merle, please…" she pulled away from his touch and stepped into her pajama pants. "I don't want to talk about that."

His jaw tightened and he pinched his lips together, forming a thin line, "We never have. After you lost the baby, you didn't talk to anyone. And since you've gotten out of the loony bin, we still haven't talked about it."

She frowned and turned her back to him, tears brimming her eyes.

"If you would've opened up and talked to me, maybe you wouldn't have ended up there," he continued. "You've never let me in though. You always turned to Daryl." He scoffed, his temper was getting the best of him, "You think I never heard y'all downstairs at night talkin'?"

"Merle, please…" tears were running down Lucy's cheeks now.

"You ain't the only one that lost something that night."

She listened to his footsteps across the room, then the door opened and closed. Lucy dropped onto the bed, not bothering to finish getting dressed, and she hugged a pillow, crying into it.

Merle walked into the kitchen to grab a beer out of the fridge. All the while, he replayed the conversation in his head. He was about to open the beer, but instead, he put it back, sighing and muttering "Fuck," under his breath. He closed his eyes for a moment before turning around and walking back into the bedroom.

Lucy was curled up on the bed, still crying when she heard the doorknob turn. She immediately forced herself to stop crying. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand before rolling over to face Merle, "What do you want?" her voice shook a little with anger.


	7. The Fur Coat

**ShutxThexFrontxDoor: Look at it this way, before she went to the loony bin, Merle would have opened that beer, and he would have drank it, and he would have kept going until he passed out. But instead, he put the beer back in the fridge and went back to the bedroom. I'm trying to bring out more of the Glenn/Daryl bromance that was blossoming before Glenn started sleeping with Maggie. I'm pretty sure you're the first person ever to put 'Merle' and 'meanie head' in the same sentence.**

Merle walked over to the bed and sat down next to Lucy. He put his hand on her arm, gently stroking her soft skin with his calloused thumb. "I know I'm an insensitive bastard," he told her.

She nodded in agreement.

"I don't wanna hurt you," he told her. "I never wanted to hurt you. I don't want to lose you again." They had broken up plenty of times in the six years prior to her being institutionalized for her to know he was referring to her mental state rather than her physical being or their relationship status. "I just want you to talk to me like you do Daryl."

Lucy smiled slightly, and he gently wiped a tear from her face. "I'm sorry, Merle," her voice was barely a whisper.

"Don't apologize, sugarplum. I'm the one that's supposed to be doin' that." He opened his arms and she crawled into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against him.

Lucy laid her head on his shoulder. _I love you._ The words were right on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't bring herself to say them. Other than in her fantasies, neither of them had ever vocalized their feelings. Instead, she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him.

A few more weeks passed, and things remained the same. They still hadn't had any problems with walkers, but there hadn't been any broadcasts on the TV either. Eventually their food supply went down and Daryl started hunting for their meals. Thanks to the fridge, and the generator, they could store the meat so he didn't have to hunt daily. He and Glenn, and occasionally Michonne, would also make trips into town when they needed non-food items.

Daryl and Glenn were in the kitchen planning another supply run when Lucy asked, "Can I come?"

Glenn looked at Daryl, who looked between Lucy and Merle, who was sitting a few feet away from where she stood, "Uh…"

"I don't think that's a good idea, sugarplum," Merle told her. Daryl sighed, his shoulders relaxing.

"Why not?" she asked, turning towards him.

"Something could happen to ya out there."

"Something could happen to me here."

"Lucy…"

She rolled her eyes before cutting him off, already knowing what he was going to say. "I'm going crazy just sitting here all the time. I need to do something. Besides, I haven't lost it yet; I don't think I will now."

Merle was silent for a few seconds before reluctantly giving in, "Fine, but I'm goin' too."

Merle took Daryl's place, and he, Lucy, and Glenn rode out. Merle parked in front of a small grocery store, and the three grabbed weapons out of the back. Merle had Daryl's crossbow, Glenn grabbed the machete, and Lucy picked up a sledgehammer, "Ya sure yer strong enough ta use that, sugarplum?" Merle teased.

She glared at him and he chuckled.

Inside the store, Merle and Lucy went one way, and Glenn went the other. Quickly and quietly, they gathered the things the non-perishables they needed. When they were done, they headed back out to the truck, stopping when they saw a girl with bright red hair running down the sidewalk on the opposite side of the road. She was being chased by two walkers. Merle lifted the crossbow, aiming for the closest one. He pulled the trigger and shot it through the head. If fell to the ground, tripping the second one. That gave Merle just enough time to reload the crossbow, and shoot it too.

"Hey, girl! Yer fine, ya can quit runnin' now."

She stopped and glanced behind her before turning to face them. She leaned back against the wall, and Lucy waved to her, a small smile spreading across her lips. The girl waved back before putting her hands on her knees, leaning forward slightly, panting, attempting to catch her breath.

They crossed the street; Merle went to retrieve the bolts while Glenn and Lucy walked up to the girl. "Are you okay?" Lucy asked, "Are you bit or scratched or anything?"

The girl shook her head, "I'm fine."

Lucy smiled, "Good."

Merle rejoined Lucy and Glenn and looked the girl over, "Ain't very smart runnin' around without a weapon."

The girl shrugged, "Guess it was a good thing you guys came along then."

Merle shrugged.

"Thank," she continued, "I'm Dakota."

Lucy introduced herself, as well as her companions.

"Well, we need to get goin' now," Merle said, wrapping his hand around Lucy's forearm and practically dragging her away. Glenn followed behind them.

"We should help her," Lucy said.

"We don't know anything about her," Merle told her as he took the sledgehammer from her, putting it back in the truck bed. "She could kill us in our sleep and rob us blind. It's what I'd do."

Lucy rolled her eyes, "Not everybody is you. She's not even armed."

"She could have a knife concealed, or even a gun."

Lucy rolled her eyes again, "If that were the case, why didn't she just kill the walkers?"

Merle opened the door, looking exasperated, "Just get in." As Lucy climbed into the cab of the truck he told her, "It could-a been a trap. Maybe she was waitin' to see if we were gonna help. Maybe she already had back up to get rid of 'em if we didn't."

Lucy frowned, crossing her arms over her chest as Merle climbed in beside her, Glenn on the other side. Lucy leaned back against the seat. Merle started the truck and pulled away.

After night fell, Daryl took up first watch. Eventually, Merle came out to relieve him. They spent a few minutes talking before Daryl decided to head in and get some sleep. Right as he opened the door, they heard something. Daryl stopped, carefully closing the door back, "You heard that?" he asked Merle, his voice low.

Merle nodded, "Came from the woods." He kept his voice just as low.

They stepped down off the porch, quietly moving across the yard. Merle pulled out his hunting knife as they entered the woods, moving in the direction the sound had come from. They heard the snap of a twig and stopped, listening for another sound. A bush a few feet in front of them rustled and Daryl raised his crossbow, taking aim. Merle chuckled softly, "It's probably jus' an animal."

Daryl kept the crossbow aimed and quietly moved forward. Merle sighed and followed him. Crouched down in the bush was the girl from in town. Merle grinned, "Well, hey there Red."

She stood, "It's Dakota. So nice to see you again."

"How'd ya get-" his question was cut off by the scream from the cabin. "Lucy!" Merle shouted. He and Daryl turned towards the cabin only to be knocked out.

_Author's Note: If you read this far, there must be something you like. Review it! _


	8. The Diet

**Klreyes91: Death by suspense is the best kind of death.**

**ShutxThexFrontxDoor: Told you it gets worse. And oh yeah, they're real bad.**

When they woke up, Daryl looked around. "Fuck!" he stomped the ground as he got up, "Fucker took my crossbow!"

Merle groaned as he sat up, "Lucy…" He blinked a few times as the incident came back to him. He jumped to his feet, "Lucy!" Merle turned and started running through the woods back to the cabin, Daryl following closely behind.

They hadn't been unconscious for too long. Everyone was standing out on the porch. Chanel, Marissa, Carol, Maggie, and Beth were huddled together, tears rolled down their faces. Fear was in everyone's eyes. Rick and Michonne stood off to the side; Michonne held the machete Glenn was fond of. As Daryl and Merle ran up, Chanel broke free of the girls and ran the rest of the way to meet them. "What happened? Where's Lucy?" Merle asked, clutching her shoulders.

"They got her! They took her and Glenn."

Merle steeled his jaw, muscles tensing. "We'll go after 'em…or I will." He started to the small shed were they kept all the weapons Lucy had brought with them. "Whoever wants to come with me can."

"I'm coming," Daryl told him.

"Me too," Michonne stepped forward, along with Rick.

"How many were there?" Merle asked, walking back with a sledgehammer in hand.

Chanel shook her head as she thought, "Three, at least. The one that grabbed Lucy and Glenn, and two came out of the woods."

"Any of y'all got the keys to the van?" Merle asked, looking at the crazies. With Daryl, Rick, and Michonne coming along, there wouldn't be a lot of room in the truck once they rescued Lucy and Glenn, assuming they were even still alive.

"I think Glenn left 'em in there," Rick said.

Merle walked over and opened the door. The keys weren't in the ignition. He checked the glove compartment, then the visor. The keys fell into his lap. He stood back up, "Got 'em! Whoever's comin', come on!"

"Will you girls be okay?" Daryl asked.

They all nodded.

"Go inside and keep the door locked. Don't come out here for _any_ reason."

They nodded again. Daryl walked over to the van where Merle, Michonne, and Rick were waiting for him. As he started to climb inside, Carol called out, "Be safe!" He smiled at her and nodded his head. Merle started the engine and waited until all the girls were inside with the door shut before he pulled away.

* * *

Lucy fought her captor, but the man was bigger and stronger than her. He held her arms still as Dakota bond her wrists together. She was certain that if she survived, Merle wouldn't let her forget that he was right about the red-haired woman. "I love it when they fight," Dakota said, a sick smile on her face that earned her a chuckle from the man. "Drop her over there with the other one." Dakota nodded to where Glenn sat.

Lucy hit the ground hard, falling against Glenn. She glared at the red-haired man. He shared a resemblance to Dakota in more than just hair color. He smirked, a chuckle slipping between his lips. "Which one are we gonna eat first 'Kota?" he asked. Clearly she was the ring leader.

The black haired man that had dragged Lucy from her bed looked over at them, "I pick him, it's been a while since I had Chinese food."

"I'm Korean," Glenn muttered.

The man shrugged, "All tastes the same."

Glenn's face twisted in disgust, "They're gonna eat us," he said to Lucy as if she hadn't heard the conversation. He kept his voice low.

"Uh huh."

"Please tell me I'm just in one of your hallucinations."

"I wish."

The red-haired man walked back over to them, "We can keep her around for a while." He knelt down in front of Lucy, and picked up a lock of her hair running it between his fingers. "She's a pretty little thing."

Lucy spat in his face.

"Feisty little bitch, huh?"

He pulled his hand back to hit her, but was stopped by Dakota, "Shepherd!"

He stood, "You got lucky this time, sweetheart." He turned around, "How's that fire comin', Malachi?"

"Just gimme a minute."

* * *

They made their way quietly through the woods towards the glowing firelight. Using the cover of the trees, Merle and Daryl turned to face Rick and Michonne to go over the plan.

Quietly, Daryl crept forward, sticking to the shadows of the small clearing. He hid behind the large truck and slashed the tires. Merle, Rick, and Michonne followed behind him, staying hidden.

Malachi walked over and wrapped his hand around Glenn's arm, pulling him roughly to his feet. Glenn tried to fight, but it was pointless. Malachi backhanded him, knocking him to the ground before pulling him to his feet again, laughing.

Lucy's eyes widened when she seen the familiar face creep past in the dark. Daryl pressed his finger to his lips as he slipped past. Making his way over to where his crossbow laid abandoned. Lucy thought quickly, hoping to keep them busy and distracted, "Why are you doing this?" she asked, trying carefully to keep her voice steady.

"Why?" Shepherd asked, looking at her. He smiled, a malicious chuckle sounded from him, "Yer friends wanna take a chance and eat tainted meat, go ahead. We aren't stupid, though."

"You can't just kidnap and eat people, its wrong."

Shepherd got up and walked over to her, squatting down in front of her, "I haven't seen any cops 'round here tellin' me what I can or can't do. There's no right or wrong, you survive or you don't."

"Who are you to decide who lives and who dies?"

"I don't decide anythin'. It's survival of the—" His words were cut off by a bolt through his head. Malachi dropped Glenn to the ground again and turned to face Daryl. Daryl shot him to, the bolt going through his neck. Malachi dropped to his knees, his fingers pressed to the hole in his throat. Dakota made her way over to Lucy and grabbed her by the hair, forcing her to her feet.

She wrapped her arm around Lucy, pressing the blade of Merle's hunting knife against the skin at her throat. Dakota kept her head just behind Lucy's so Daryl wouldn't have a clean shot. "Drop it!" she told him, unaware that behind her, Rick was cutting Glenn free while Merle and Michonne snuck up on her.

Daryl slowly lowered his crossbow, keeping his eyes on Dakota, and one hand in the air; he knelt, laying it down before standing straight again.

"That's a good boy," Dakota smiled.

"Let Lucy go."

Dakota scoffed, "After you killed my brother and my boyfriend? I don't think so. Eye for an eye, sweetie."

"Hey, Red," Merle said behind her.

Startled, she turned around, losing her grip on Lucy. Glenn tackled her, knocking her to the ground. Lucy ran to Merle and he wrapped his arms around her. Merle started cutting her free while Glenn and Dakota struggled on the ground. He was on top of her, but her hands were around his throat and he was struggling to pry them away.

"Glenn! Watch out!" Rick shouted.

Glenn threw his weight to his side, so he was on the ground, and Dakota climbed on top of him, putting her weight into it in an attempt to crush his windpipes. She didn't realize that behind her Malachi had stood up, now a walking corpse. He grabbed a handful of Dakota's hair and pulled her up. She let go of Glenn who scrambled away as quickly as he could. Malachi bit into Dakota's shoulder and she screamed.

Daryl grabbed the crossbow and shot the new walker. It slumped against Dakota, knocking her to the ground with its body on top of her. She pushed it away and sat back on her knees. She pressed her hand to her bleeding wound and pulled it away to look at the blood on her fingers. As Dakota started to go into hysterics, Michonne swung the machete, decapitating her. Dakota's head bounced a couple of times before rolling into the fire. Everyone looked at Michonne, and she gazed back at them, completely expressionless. She lifted her head up, her back straight, "No tolerance for walkers."

Lucy smiled at her. She returned Lucy's smile and they all started towards the van. Daryl picked up Merle's hunting knife as he walked by it and handed it back to his brother. "I didn't even realize I'd lost it," Merle muttered.

Daryl smirked and retrieved his bolts before getting in the van.

When they got back to the cabin, Daryl banged on the door, "We're back!"

He heard the lock and Chanel pulled the door open, immediately wrapping her arms around Daryl, "We were so worried about y'all."

He awkwardly patted her back, returning her hug, "We're all fine."

She pulled away from him and hugged everyone else. When Glenn walked through the door, Maggie wrapped her arms tightly around him, "Are you okay?" she asked as tears rolled down her cheeks.

He nodded and cupped her face in his hands, wiping away her tears, "I'm fine." She pressed her lips to his.

Lucy smiled, muttering, "I knew they were supposed to be together."

Merle chuckled softly and put his hand on her back, rubbing it, "C'mon Sugarplum, let's get to bed."

She nodded and followed him to their bedroom. Merle shut the door behind them. When he turned to face Lucy she was already sitting on the bed, staring at the floor. "Everything okay, Lucy?"

She looked up at him and smiled slightly, "You were right."

He couldn't help the grin that broke across his face, "That I was."

She reached out her hands to him and he crossed the room to her, taking her hands in his. She squeezed them tightly; tighter than she ever had before. "Ease up on the grip, sugarplum," he said, gently squeezing her hands back.

"This is real?" she asked it for the first time since the day he brought her home rather than just stating it like she had been. Her voice cracked and he could hear the fear in it.

He got down on his knees in front of her so they were eye level, "Yes, Lucy, it's real." He watched the tears spill out of her eyes and roll down her cheeks. He squeezed her hands again, "It's real."

She pulled her hands from his and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pressed her lips to his, kissing him roughly. He wrapped his arms around her waist and sat back onto the floor, pulling her down on top of him. She straddled his waist as she kissed him and his hand went up to her hair, fingers wrapping around the long dark strands. Lucy pressed herself against him and bit his bottom lip.

They wasted little time getting their clothes off, and Lucy pushed him back onto his back again. A grin spread across his face as he watched her, she had never been so aggressive with him before. She pressed her lips to his in another rough kiss, her tongue darting inside his mouth. His hands gripped her hips as she settled herself on him, sliding down on his length. A low moan passed between her lips and he groaned as she started rocking her hips against him, working into a steady rhythm. Her nails dug into the skin on his shoulders as she came down harder, and he lifted his hips to meet hers. She moaned again, trailing kisses along his neck, biting him softly as she did.

His grip on her hips tightened so much he was certain she'd have bruises in the morning, but she didn't seem to be bothered by it. Her lips found his again and he grabbed a handful of her hair. He swallowed her moans, a few of his own filled the room too as she tightened around him, her muscles tensing as she orgasmed, causing him to find his too.

Lucy laid on top of him, panting in an attempt to catch her breath. He ran his hand over her back, rubbing it. They got off the floor and crawled into bed. Merle wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him as she fell asleep.


	9. Lucy Fakes Illness

**ShutxThexFrontxDoor: You and your damn perfect writing got my Mercy feels through the roof today. It's your fault I'm doing another chapter today instead of waiting. I just wanna cry some more. Oh, Merle, won't you quit being a stubborn bastard and tell everyone how much you love Lucy. And yes, you know the whole damn house heard them. Along with every walker in a five mile radius, at least. Chanel makes Daryl nervous.**

Merle wasn't sure how long he laid in bed with Lucy, holding her against him. She laid there sleeping, her head tilted down, tucked against his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair and kissed the top of her head before easing out of the bed, careful not to wake her.

He got dressed and walked back into the living room. Everyone else was still awake, and gathered around, discussing what had happened. It became eerily quiet the minute he stepped into the room. "Is she dead?" Chanel asked, a completely serious look on her face.

"No…" Merle frowned; his brow furrowed causing his forehead to wrinkle. "Why would she…"

He stopped when Marissa giggled, "Are you sure? There was a lot of screamin' comin' from y'all's room."

His frown deepened, and there were chuckles coming from everyone in the room. "Y'all just keep laughin' it up," he said, defensively, "least I'm gettin' some."

He leaned against the wall next to Daryl, crossing his arms over his chest. The frown remained on his face, despite the change of topic. They were all talking about the incident. After a while, Merle sighed heavily, shaking his head. "It's over now, everybody's safe."

The discussion didn't last much longer after that. It was late, and it wouldn't be much longer before the sun came up. Merle pushed himself off the wall, heading back to his room, hoping to get a little bit more rest.

He stripped down and crawled quietly back into bed. He slipped his arms around her and a soft moan escaped her lips as she leaned back against him. "Where'd ya go?"

"I was talkin' to the others."

"'bout what?"

"Nothin' important." He kissed her temple, "Go back to sleep, sugarplum."

When Merle woke up, Lucy was still asleep. He pulled his clothes on and walked into the living room. Rick was sitting up on the couch bed, the TV remote in hand. "Nothin'?" he asked, sitting in the over-stuffed chair he was fond of.

Rick sighed, his shoulders slumping, "I don't know why we even bother to keep checkin'."

Merle shrugged, "Habit. We want somethin' to believe in so we don't feel like every day is pointless and we're just sittin' out here waitin' to die…to become one of those things."

Rick was silent as he thought. When he did finally speak, he said, "That one Daryl shot…through the neck…he got back up. He wasn't bit or anything. He turned without getting bit."

Merle sighed, he wanted to forget that, "I know."

"What's that mean?"

"We're all infected," Lucy said from the doorway. Neither of them had even noticed she entered the room.

Merle turned to look at her, "How ya feelin' sugarplum?"

She shrugged.

"Did you take yer medicine yet?"

She shook her head and he got up, sighing. He put his hand on her shoulder and led her back down the hall into the bedroom. Merle shook the pills into the palm of his hand. "I don't want to take them."

"Lucy, you have to. C'mon," he extended his arm so he could drop the pills into her hand. "I don't wanna lose you."

She frowned and reached out, taking the pills from him. "This is real."

He nodded. Lucy put the little tablets in her mouth and gave him a small smile. He cupped the back of her head and kissed her forehead. Lucy followed him out of the bedroom. Once she was alone in the kitchen, Lucy spit the pills out into her hand, and washed them down the drain.

As the day progressed, nobody said a lot. They were still coming down off of the events from the night before. And as days passed, Lucy continued pretending to take her pills. Merle would give them to her and they'd repeat her mantra, she'd put them in her mouth and smile. Then the first second they'd get alone, she'd spit them out and get rid of them.

_Author's Note: I know this is a really short chapter, but consider how long the last one was and don't complain. Plus, it's important for the story that this spot be the end of the chapter._


	10. Breaking the Lease

**ShutxThexFrontxDoor: Gah! You did it. That's our thing now. Like an inside joke. Lucy's completely nuts. How do you know she's even out of the hospital? And like I said on Tumblr, Lucy doesn't just get the D, she takes it. She makes Merle her bitch.**

Another month passed and the changes in Lucy were too subtle for anyone to notice. Except for Chanel. She noticed odd changes in Lucy's behavior, a weird twitch she'd get in her eye or the corner of her mouth. Sometimes it would seem like she was looking at something that wasn't there. A couple of times Chanel caught her in a conversation with herself, but she didn't say anything. What could she do about it anyways?

Finally, one night when she and Lucy were alone in the kitchen, Chanel turned to her. Lucy was sitting at the table. "Lucy, are you alright?" Chanel asked.

Lucy looked up and nodded, "Why wouldn't I be?"

Chanel shrugged, walking towards her, "You haven't been talking much. You've been keeping to yourself a lot since what happened." Chanel paused, frowning. "Lucy, your lip is twitching."

Lucy bit down on it, frowning slightly.

"Lucy, please, if something's bothering you, talk to me."

"I'm fine," she said through clenched teeth.

"Dammit Lucy, you can't do this!" Chanel slammed her fist down on the table, startling Lucy. She jumped and looked up at her with wide, frightened doe eyes. Even when it came to Merle, Chanel never raised her voice; she never came close to yelling. Chanel sighed and walked around the table. She sat down next to Lucy, slumping in the chair and placed her hands palm down on the table. "I'm sorry," she told her, voice low and measured. "I don't wanna see you revert to that. None of us do. We love you too much. Whatever's on your mind, you can tell me."

Lucy sighed and looked down at her lap. Chanel reached over and took her hand, squeezing it. "I love you, Lucy. You can talk to me. You can talk to any of us." She squeezed Lucy's hand again as she watched a tear roll down her cheek.

Marissa walked into the room at that moment and frowned. "Is everything okay?" she asked, noticing the two girls. She walked over to them and sat down on the opposite side of Lucy and wrapped her arms around her. Chanel did too and Lucy closed her eyes as she began to cry.

"Just talk to us," Marissa whispered, "don't cry."

And Lucy did. Everything she'd been keeping to herself came out. From losing her baby, to the delusions, she didn't leave anything out. Finally, she admitted to not taking the pills. "How long have you been doing that?"

All three girls turned to look at him; none of them had known Merle was in the room. He leaned against the doorjamb, his arms crossed over his chest and an unreadable expression on his face. He had walked in half way through Lucy's confession, but hadn't said anything until then out of fear of her closing up and not continuing.

She shook her head, shrugging slightly, "Just since what happened."

"How long were you going to keep pretending?"

Lucy shrugged. He ran his hand over his face before turning around and walking away. Lucy jumped up and ran after him, "Merle, wait!" He walked outside. She followed him, running down the porch steps. "Merle!" she grabbed his arm and he turned to face her, "I'm sorry I lied."

"Do you want to relapse?" he shouted at her. She hunched her shoulders, startled by his outburst and she shrugged away. "Do you want to become that delusional shell again?" Tears rolled down Lucy's cheeks as Merle yelled. His hands wrapped around her upper arms, "I'm trying my damnedest to keep you sane, but you don't fuckin' care!"

"I'm better," she told him in a barely audible whisper.

He didn't hear her though as he continued. "I don't want to lose you again. Goddammit Lucy! I love you!"

She fell against him, more tears rolling down and staining his shirt as she sobbed against his chest. Her arms slipped around him his waist, her hands on his back, and he put his around her, stroking her hair. "I'm better," she whispered again. He sighed and closed his eyes, not wanting to let her go. "This is real."

"Yes, Lucy, it's real."

She tilted her head up to look at him. He smiled softly at her. He moved one hand so he could wipe the tears from her eyes. "I love you too," she whispered. They had been together for over seven years, off and on, and it was the first time either of them had uttered the words, outside of Lucy's own delusions.

"Merle!" Daryl's voice called from the porch, interrupting their moment.

Merle pulled away from Lucy's embraced and turned to face his brother, "What?"

"You gotta come see this."

Merle turned back to Lucy. She gave him a small smile and they headed back in.

_Author's Note: It's not as long as I had hoped it would be, but I wanted to leave you guys with a cliffhanger._


	11. New Neighbors

**ShutxThexFrontxDoor: I forgot to add, don't cry in your closet. Cry on your bed, because then you can wrap yourself in blankets and sob into pillows while you cuddle stuffed animals.**

**Klreyes91: Because hanging from cliffs is one of my favorite past times.**

They stepped through the door and walked back into the living room where everyone was gathered around the TV. The broadcast faded in and out and the picture wasn't clear, but they were able to hear what the reporter was saying. "We are asking that everyone please stay calm and remain where you are. The military is sending help, there are units eliminating the threat and checkpoints will be set up. Please stay tuned for further instructions."

The broadcast faded out and everyone looked at each other, "We're gonna be saved," Beth said, looking mostly as Maggie. "Everything's gonna be okay."

Maggie smiled at her sister and Glenn turned the TV off. Lucy quietly slipped out of the room, going to her bedroom. Everyone broke off into their own little groups, talking about the broadcast. Daryl noticed Carol slip into the kitchen and he followed her. "You okay?" he asked.

She nodded, "I'm fine." She turned back to look at him, "Why?"

He shrugged slightly, "You don't seem as excited as everyone else."

"What's there to be excited about? Going back to the psycho ward in Atlanta?" She sighed softly, her shoulders slumping, "And if we're all infected, what are the chances of this happening again?"

Daryl remained silent.

Carol sighed again and leaned back against the counter, "I'm sorry."

Daryl shook his head, "You don't have anythin' to apologize for."

She gave him a weak smile, "Now I understand why Lucy…uh…" she pinched her lips together, a pink tint on her cheeks. She shook her head slightly, "Never mind."

Daryl arched an eyebrow, "What? Is it somethin' to do with her delusions?"

Carol nodded.

"You can tell me."

Carol bit her bottom lip, debating on whether or not to tell him. She smiled and chuckled softly, "She uh…" she gestured helplessly with her hand, her cheeks reddening. "She imagined we were a…uh…a thing." She looked away from him, still blushing.

Daryl blushed too, turning away from her.

"You're not like your brother," she said, her voice remaining low.

He shrugged, "He's changed some. He used to be a lot worse. He'd…he'd get rough with her sometimes. It's part of what broke her."

Carol frowned, "My husband was abusive too."

Daryl shook his head, "Merle never done it on purpose. He was always high when it would happen, and he always felt like shit afterwards. He hasn't touched a thing since she was committed.

Carol shook her head too; she hadn't meant to offend him. She offered him a small smile, "You care a lot about them, huh? Both of 'em…"

Daryl nodded, "They're all I have." He sighed, "Merle wasn't always the best brother, hell most of the time he wasn't even a good brother, but he cared about me, in his own way. He took care o' me. And Lucy…I could talk to her about anything…ya know, once I got used to her bein' around. Once I realized she wasn' jus' a one night stand."

Carol smiled and nodded, "They're your family."

Daryl nodded.

A couple of days passed and the TV was on almost all of the time. The first broadcast would repeat throughout the day, but they held on to hope that there would be a new one. After all, someone had to be playing the old one, so they hadn't been abandoned yet.

When one finally came on, the same reporter from before was giving information about the safe camps and checkpoints. "Please proceed with caution, the threat is still out there," she continued at the end. "Take safety precautions and arm yourself before leaving wherever you're at."

The following morning, they all started packing and reloading the vehicles so they could leave. They drove throughout the day, heading towards the checkpoint. Eventually, the sky started to darken as the sun began to set. "We should probably start lookin' fer a place ta stop fer the night," Daryl said.

"No," Lucy shook her head. "I don't want to stop until we get to the checkpoint."

Merle sighed, "Lucy, we can't drive all night. We gotta get some sleep."

Lucy frowned, crossing her arms over her chest.

Daryl chuckled softly as he started to slow the truck down. As he pulled off the road, he checked the rearview mirror. Chanel and Marissa were following close behind him, and Glenn and the others behind them. They stopped in the small field that lined the road. The opposite side of the road was lined with trees.

They unpacked the few things they would need for the night. Merle started building a fire while Daryl gathered his things to go hunting, hoping to find them some food. Lucy sat against a tree, braiding her hair and watching Merle. The fire lit and Merle came over and sat down beside her, "You okay, sugarplum?"

Lucy nodded and leaned her head against his shoulder.

He put his arm around her, resting his hand on her back.

"I don't want to be out here," she told him. "I just want to get to the checkpoint."

"I know, I do too. We'll be there tomorrow morning, after noon at the latest."

A couple of hours later, Daryl returned with a deer and he and Merle gutted and skinned it so they could cook it. Portions were handed out and everyone ate. Soon after, everyone went to bed. Daryl and Michonne took first watch, and eventually Merle and Rick took over. Neither man said anything during the last few hours of night. Lucy laid curled against Merle, and he stared up at the stars, tracing the patterns of the constellations on her arm with his fingertips.

As the sun began to rise, Merle heard the snap of a twig, "Did you hear that?"

Rick's head turned in the direction the snap had come from, nodding.

Merle rose slowly, careful not to wake Lucy. He picked up Daryl's crossbow and loaded it. Rick stood too, stepping carefully through their makeshift campsite. He kept his eyes on the others, remembering what happened last time sounds were heard during the night.


	12. Fred and Ethel Have a Fight

**ShutxThexFrontxDoor: You wanna know what happens when you don't listen to Lucy? Somebody dies.**

The walker stepped out from behind a tree and Merle shot it through the head instantly. Two more appeared and Merle made quick work of them as well. "Where are they comin' from?" Merle asked rhetorically. Before any more could appear, he and Rick made their way out of the woods, quickly waking everyone up.

Maggie sat up, rubbing her sleep-filled eyes, "What's goin' on?"

"Walkers," Rick stated as he headed towards the van. "Merle killed three, there could be more."

Just as the words came out of his mouth, another walker stepped out of the woods not too far down from where they were set up. Everyone started moving, hurrying to gather their things. As they scurried around the campsite, more walkers emerged. The movements and sounds from the survivors caught the growing horde's attention and they started ambling towards the small group. Their pace quickened as their arms reached out, hands groping the air, hoping to grab hold of one of the living. Hungry moans spilled from decaying mouths as rotted teeth gnashed.

While everyone else around her moved, repacking their things, Lucy stood frozen. Daryl shot a few walkers that managed to get too close to comfort, but he didn't have enough bolts for all of them. Plus each time one went down, another one emerged from the tree line. "Lucy!" Chanel shouted her name, hoping to snap her out of it, but Lucy just stood staring. Chanel's hand wrapped around Lucy's wrist, tugging on her arm but Lucy didn't budge.

As the walkers got closer, everyone began to panic. Michonne grabbed the machete from the back of the truck. The leather sleeve fell to the ground, and she began hacking away at the nearing undead.

"Go!" Merle told Chanel, nodding to her car. He scooped Lucy up into his arms, and ran to the truck, carrying her. Daryl opened the door and climbed in, sliding across the seat. He jammed the key and turned it over as Merle climbed in and shut the door. As Daryl pulled away from the scene, Merle cupped Lucy's face in his hands and turned her head to face him. There was fear on her face, but her eyes were blank. Her mind was elsewhere. "Lucy," he said her name carefully. "Lucy, look at me, dammit!"

She jerked and blinked a few times, her eyes focusing on his face. Tears slipped from them and rolled down her cheeks, being trapped by his hands still holding her face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. "This is real?" she whispered between sobs, her hands clutched the collar of his shirt.

"This is real, Lucy," his hands rubbed her back in an attempt to comfort her. "It's real."

She buried her face into his neck and continued sobbing, whispering her mantra over and over.

Daryl reached over and placed his hand on her knee, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Once they had distanced themselves from the walkers, Daryl pulled to a stop, waiting for the others to catch up to them. It wasn't too long before he seen the other two vehicles in the rearview mirror. He got out of the truck, leaving Lucy and Merle in it. She was still clinging to him, crying.

The others got out as well; he walked over to the van where everyone was gathered, "Everyone okay?" he asked.

There were glances between them and finally Carol stepped forward. She pulled back the sleeve of the sweater she wore, revealing a bite wound on the side of her wrist. Daryl's face fell as he blinked at the teeth marks, "Anyone else?"

There was murmuring and headshakes.

"What are we gonna do?" Beth asked.

He looked from her to Michonne, remembering her words _no tolerance for walkers_. He had agreed with her then, but that was also someone that was going to kill and eat Lucy and Glenn. It was someone that probably would've done the same to him and the rest of his friends too. This was Carol. He bit his bottom lip. He didn't want to be the one to say it.

"I don't want to be one of those things," Carol said.

"Maybe you don't have to be. Maybe they've discovered a cure, maybe you'll be alright," Marissa said. Beth's eyebrows arched, a hopeful look appearing in her eyes.

Carol shook her head, "If they had a cure, they would'a said so. Besides, we don't know how fast the virus works. I could turn before we get there. Besides, do you really think they'd let me through the checkpoint if I've been bitten?"

Daryl's jaw popped and he sneered at the ground. Carol looked at him, "Will you?"

He shook his head, "I can't."

"Please." She took his hand, begging him. "I don't want to risk turning."

He sighed and scratched the back of his head.

Daryl and Carol stood in the woods, within shouting distance of the road. She didn't want to be around the others. "Thank you," she told him.

He frowned, still unhappy about the situation. He looked down at the dirt.

"Daryl, you're doing the right thing," she reassured him. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and stepped back. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. He lifted the crossbow, aiming at the center of her forehead. He turned his head away and pulled the trigger. He didn't bother to retrieve the bolt; he'd already lost enough of them, what did another one matter? He didn't want to see her body lying there lifeless.

He walked back to the road, the crossbow slung over his back. "Y'all good on gas and everything?" he called to them without looking at them as he walked to the truck.

Glenn and Chanel both called out a 'yeah'. Chanel jogged to catch up with Daryl and put her hand on his shoulder. "Is Lucy alright?" she asked.

He turned to face her and nodded, "Yeah." Daryl turned slightly, glancing at the two in the truck. Merle was stroking Lucy's hair and murmuring in her ear. Daryl turned back to Chanel and sighed. He shook his head, "I don't know."

"She hasn't been taking her meds."

"I know," he ran his hand over his face, and scratched just under his chin. It just wasn't a good day. "We should head out. I wanna get through that checkpoint."

She nodded and he turned away from her.

Daryl got back in his truck without saying another word. He didn't have to tell Merle what happened, he'd been watching in the mirrors and had it all figured out. Besides that, Lucy wasn't in a state of mind where she needed to hear it. He turned the key and looked in the rearview mirror, seeing Chanel standing there. He arched an eyebrow.

Marissa opened her door and stepped halfway out of the car, "What are you waiting for?"

Chanel shook her head slightly and walked to the car. "I don't even know," she muttered to herself, opening the door.

Daryl waited until Chanel had started her car before he pulled away.

"He's so clueless," Marissa commented as Chanel drove.

"What are you talking about?" Chanel asked, glancing at the brunette beside her.

"Don't play dumb. You've only been throwing yourself at him for as long as I've known you, probably longer." Chanel rolled her eyes and Marissa smirked, noticing the redness in Chanel's cheeks, "He's completely oblivious. If you expect anything to happen, you need to just go up to him, grab him, and kiss him."

Chanel just shook her head, trying to keep from blushing more. She reached over and turned the stereo on, pushing a button to play the CD that was in it. Juliette Lewis's voice filled the car, and Chanel began singing along, ignoring Marissa.

They eventually made it through the checkpoint. They were able to restock some of the supplies they were running low on and were able to refill their gas tanks, plus they got some food. Merle and Lucy had fallen asleep on the ride to the checkpoint and Daryl didn't want to bother them. He knew Merle was probably exhausted from spending half the night awake on guard duty. It wasn't long after they left the checkpoint that both of them woke up. "We make it there yet?" Merle asked.

Daryl nodded, "Drove through it about an hour ago."

Lucy sat up, blinking and rubbing sleep from her eyes. She still hadn't said anything, and continued to remain speechless as she moved from Merle's lap to the seat between him and Daryl. "How you feelin' sugarplum?" Merle asked.

She didn't respond. She just sighed and frowned before laying her head against Merle's shoulder. The corner of her lips twitched. He put his arm around her and stroked her hair right behind her ear.

"She's relapsing," Daryl said as he drove. He glanced at Merle and Lucy for just a moment.

"She's gonna be fine," Merle told him.

"How many months has it been since she took her meds?"

A low growl sounded in Merle's throat, a warning that Daryl should shut up. Daryl shifted, gipping the steering wheel tightly with one hand and leaning his other out the window.

A few minutes passed before Daryl spoke again, "She was violent…before. You even said she attacked you."

Merle clenched his fist, his jaw tightened and his muscles tensed.

"She needs to start taking those pills again. I can't believe you've let her stay off them."

"Will you shut the fuck up?!" Merle shouted, startling Lucy.

"Stop!" she shouted, pulling away from Merle.

Surprised by her sudden outburst, Daryl slammed on the brakes. Chanel and Glenn hit their brakes too, narrowly avoiding crashing the three cars together. The second the truck stopped, Lucy reached across Merle and pushed the door open. She crawled across his lap, scrambling to get out of the truck. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she took off running into the trees lining the road.

Merle got out after her, "Lucy!" He shouted her name and started running after her.

Everyone got out of their vehicles and walked over to where Daryl stood by his truck. "What happened?" Maggie asked.

Daryl shook his head, shrugging slightly, "I think we broke her."

Chanel walked up to him and slapped him hard across the face.

Daryl's jaw dropped, his eyes widened, and he pressed his hand against his stinging skin, "The fuck was that for?!" He glared at her.

She ignored his question, "When Merle comes back, I'm doin' that to him too!" Her brow was furrowed and she was frowning. Her face was red and there was anger in her eyes, breaths coming out heavy. Marissa placed her hand on Chanel's shoulder, an attempt to calm her down.

Daryl grabbed her forearm and turned, marching away from the group, pulling her along. She struggled in his grasp, trying to pull her arm free. His hold wasn't tight enough to hurt her, but it was enough to keep her from slipping away. When he was out of earshot from the others, he turned to face her. "I wasn't tryin' a maker her snap!" he told her. "Merle never should've let her stay off the damn pills." Chanel crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. She looked away, still frowning. Daryl reached out and just barely touched her forearm, "I love her too, I didn't want this to happen."

"I'm just so worried about her," Chanel told him, finally meeting his gaze again.

"I know. Merle is too, he just," he gestured helplessly and closed his eyes, sighing. "He's trying."

"I know," her shoulder slumped some as she relaxed.

They stood in silence for a few minutes, then Daryl said, "Hittin' me wasn't cool."

She grinned and winked at him. "You know you liked it," she teased.

He shook his head, "Stop it."

She chuckled, "So you're not like Merle then. You prefer it soft and gentle." He shook his head, tilting it down so she couldn't see him blush. He walked past her and she said, "Its okay, I can be gentle with ya."

"Fuckin' strippers," he muttered.

She laughed and turned to catch up to him.


	13. Lucy is Enceinte

**Runaway-zebra: I LOVE YOU TOO! I thought you'd enjoy Chanel teasing him. **

Merle found Lucy sitting on the ground, her back against a tree. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and there were tears rolling down her cheeks. Her arms were wrapped tight around her legs, her hands clutching the denim of her jeans. Merle knelt down in front of her. "Lucy," he said her name softly, not sure what sort of mindset she was in. "Lucy, sugarplum, look at me…"

Her stare met his and he could see the fear in her eyes, "Merle…"

He reached his hand out, "C'mere sugarplum." She took his hand and he stood, pulling her to her feet too. He pulled her against him, and wrapped his arms around her. Merle smoothed her hair with his hand, rubbing her back. "It's okay, Lucy," he whispered.

She clung to him, clutching his shirt in her hands, "This is real?" What had once been a statement had become a question.

"Yes, Lucy, it's real." She looked up at him, and Merle smiled, hoping to comfort or reassure her. He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He wiped the tears from her face, and gently pressed his lips to hers. Lucy slowly let go of his shirt, easing her arms around his neck. When he finally pulled away, he said, "Let's get back before they all start to worry."

She nodded. Merle kissed her again and took her hand as they walked back through the words.

True to her words, once Merle and Lucy reached the road, Chanel marched up to him and slapped him across the face, harder than she had Daryl. Lucy and Daryl couldn't help the grins that spread across their faces. "What the fuck?" Merle shouted, glaring at her, his fingers gingerly touching the stinging, reddening skin.

Lucy chuckled softly.

"Damn!" Chanel ignored him, "I should've done that a long time ago."

Still glaring at her, Merle rubbed his cheek where a handprint was forming, "Stupid bitch," he muttered. She slapped him again, "I highly suggest you stop doin' that. Especially if you know what's good for you."

Chanel rolled her eyes and turned to Lucy, taking her hands, "Are you okay?"

Lucy nodded, "I'll be fine. I promise."

Chanel hugged her tightly, "I love you."

Lucy hugged her back, her arms wrapping just as tightly around her, "I love you too."

Chanel pulled away and Lucy gave her what she hoped was a reassuring smile. Chanel returned the smile and everyone turned to get back into the vehicles and leave. Before Daryl pulled away, Merle opened the glove compartment and took out the little bottle of pills. Lucy frowned, slumping against the seat as he shook the pills into the palm of his hand. He gave them to her and she put them in her mouth. "Swallow them."

She sighed and rolled her eyes but did as he said.

"Open your mouth," he told her wanting to see proof that she had swallowed the medicine.

She opened her mouth, and even lifted her tongue, proving she wasn't hiding them. Satisfied, he nodded and she closed her mouth.

The rest of the drive to the safe zone was quiet. Daryl and Merle didn't even look at each other, both of them still mad at the other one. Lucy didn't say anything either, she just sat staring out the window.

Once they made it to the safe zone, they were all examined to make sure no one had been bitten. Once they were allowed inside, they were given small apartments near each other and other supplies they needed.

Lucy finished unpacking the few things she and Merle had and sat down on the bed. Merle walked into the room and saw the frown on her face, "What's wrong?" he asked, sitting next to her.

Lucy shook her head.

He put his hand on her knee, "Talk to me sugarplum."

She sighed heavily and he gave her knee a gentle squeeze, "This place makes me think of Woodbury."

"Woodbury?"

Lucy nodded, "It was…from my…"

He nodded too, "I understand. This is different though."

"I know. This is real."

"It's real, and it'll be over soon. We'll be able to go home and things will be better."

She looked up at him, a small smile quirked the corner of her lips, "You think so?"

He nodded, "I know it will." She moved across the bed so she was sitting on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. His hands traveled up her back as she kissed him.


	14. Lucy Goes to the Hospital

**Runaway-zebra: You knew she was gonna slap him though! I'm glad you enjoyed that chapter, and like I said before, I felt like it would be detrimental to her health without it. This is the last chapter, and I believe it'll be a good one, but I'm working out the ideas for another story. I have a one shot I'll post later today or tomorrow that's Lucy/Merle, and then I'm going to work on a 'Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer' fic because I just can't get enough Michael Rooker, and young Michael Rooker was so handsome with those curls…then I might do another Mercy story.**

_Eight Months Later_

Merle, Lucy, and Daryl walked into their house. It had been at least a year, most likely more, since they'd been there, they had lost track of the time during their stay in the cabin. Their home was a mess now. There was what looked like bloodstains on the door and in the living room. The house had been ransacked; anything even remotely valuable had been stolen. The things that remained were broken or ruined in some way.

Lucy sighed heavily, looking at the mess. Her shoulders slumped. Merle laid his hand on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "It'll be okay, sugarplum. We'll clean up and replace what needs to be replaced."

"We can't afford to do that."

"Don't worry about that. Depending on who's still left, I might be able to work longer hours, maybe even get a raise, it'll be fine."

She turned to face him, "I guess in a couple of months, I could go back to the club with Chanel."

"No," he shook his head. "I don't want you workin' there anymore."

"Then what am I supposed to do? I can't go back to school."

"We'll figure somethin' out."

She turned around and started up the stairs; he sighed and followed her as Daryl brought in the last of their things. Lucy sat on the bed, "Are we gonna be okay?"

He closed the door, "Of course." She laid back, staring up at the ceiling. He sat down, and stretched out next to her, his arm slipping around her. "Things are gonna be different this time." She felt his hand slip under her shirt, pushing it up over her stomach. She smiled as his calloused fingers brushed over her skin. "I'm gonna take care of you," he pressed a kiss just above her belly button. "Both of you," he whispered to the baby growing inside her. Merle muttered something else that Lucy couldn't quite make out.

"One more month," she said, placing her hand on the back of his head, playing with the short, graying brown hair. "We got a lot to do before she comes."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of everything baby."

Lucy chuckled softly as he kissed her again. She was almost positive he was talking to his daughter, considering he had never called her that before.

In the month that followed, Daryl moved into an apartment nearby. Merle, Daryl, Glenn, and Rick turned Daryl's old room into a baby's nursery. And the girls threw a baby shower for Lucy. Not to mention the frequent shopping Lucy and Chanel did for the baby.

Lucy stood in the nursery putting away the new clothes she and Chanel had bought earlier that day. She closed the drawers and turned. She leaned against the dresser and looked at the small crib; the sheets were solid pink and purple, so as to not distract from the Alice in Wonderland mural that had been painted on the wall. Lucy smiled a little; feeling the baby move. She brushed her hand over her belly and whispered, "I can't wait to see you either."

Merle and Daryl were downstairs, sitting on the couch and watching TV. "Merle…" Lucy's voice came from the stairs.

"Hmm…?" He and Daryl both turned to face her.

"It's time."

"What?"

"My water broke." The two Dixons jumped up, and Merle practically climbed over the couch to get to Lucy. "I already have everything—" She was cut off when Merle scooped her up into his arms. "I can walk!"

"No, I'm carrying you," he said as he started towards the door.

"My bag though!"

"Daryl, get the bag!"

Daryl ran up the stairs to retrieve the bag as Merle carried Lucy outside. Merle left with Lucy while Daryl made the phone calls to tell everyone Lucy was going into labor.

An epidural and six hours later, and Merle were holding Norah Dharma Dixon while Lucy slept. Norah slept in Merle's arms, her tiny hand wrapped around one of Merle's fingers. There was a soft knock on the door and Merle looked up as Daryl and Chanel walked in. "Shh," Merle told them, nodding towards Lucy's sleeping form. She was exhausted, understandably so.

Chanel leaned over Merle to look at the baby. "She looks so much like you," Chanel whispered.

"Yeah, poor thing," Daryl teased, his voice low too. Merle glared at his little brother. "Let me hold her," Daryl reached out and Merle stood, carefully handing over Norah. Norah yawned and blinked sleepily up at Daryl. "Hey," he smiled. Daryl looked at Merle, "She has her eyes."

Chanel stood behind Daryl and slipped her arms around his waist, resting her chin on his shoulder, "I want one, don't you?"

He glanced at her, the corner of his lip turned up and his cheeks reddened. Chanel giggled, still amused that after six months of sleeping together, she could still make him blush with even the slightest innuendo.

"I still can't believe you two are together," Lucy said, her voice heavy with sleep.

"Funny what the end of the world can do to people," Chanel said, and stood on tip toe to kiss Daryl's cheek.

A smile swept over his features and he turned so he could kiss her forehead.

Norah started to fuss and Lucy reached out for her. Daryl handed her the baby and she smiled at him. "Shh," she cooed and started singing softly to her. Norah settled against her, falling back to sleep. It wasn't long before the others came by to see Norah too.


End file.
